Homeowners Sue LIPA Over Sandy Actions

Suit Alleges Utility, Operator Responsible for Loss of 150 Homes

By

Sean Gardiner

July 2, 2013 10:46 p.m. ET

The decision by the Long Island Power Authority and National Grid not to cut energy to the Rockaways in advance of superstorm Sandy was to blame for 150 homes on the peninsula being destroyed by fire during the storm, according to a lawsuit filed on behalf of 120 homeowners on Tuesday.

The effects of past storms, especially Hurricane Irene in 2011, should have made LIPA and National Grid aware that the Rockaway peninsula in Queens is a flood-prone area and that its homes were at risk to catch fire due to the...